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A friend came to me with a couple boards. 1x8's around six feet long. These boards were black charred on one side from a fire that burned down his son's house and they are all that remains. The charring goes nearly a quarter inch into the surface. Dave wants me to carve his last name into one of these and the address number into the other so they can be out on the gate at this rural location as Lane builds his new house on the same property. I would pick up the board and the surface was kinda spongy and fragile and uneven and left my hands looking like a coal miner. I tried drawing a layout with stabillo and it didn't show. Chalk wouldn't stick either. I made a pounce pattern with big holes and dusted it on and then hit it with a hair spray for a fixative. It disappeared. I ended up tacking down the pattern and dusting one letter at a time and routing it into the board, while my hands dragging the router on the surface wiped off any layout for the next letter. Finally finished the job. But there's more to the story. It took me months to decide to tackle this project that I didn't know how to approach. As I was routing this, I found out my friend Dave had wandered off from his ranch and taken his life due to a depression that came on from all this Covid 19 stuff. No one saw it coming. He'll never see what I did for him.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. Charles Mingus Posts: 6817 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Ricardo, the only thing I know was that he really had a hard time with this shelter in place thing that made it so he couldn't see his kids and grandkids that were two miles away. He wasn't having marital problems or financial. He kinda retired from riding rodeos. I think his horse even misses him. But to keep the chat about signs, how would you think of getting a layout on that textured charcoal?
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. Charles Mingus Posts: 6817 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. Charles Mingus Posts: 6817 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Minwax makes a Product called "Wood Hardener"... a resin based material designed to harden rotting wood. I used it once on the bottoms of some rotting flower planters and it seemed to work reasonably well. Would it work on the charred wood? Just a thought.
-------------------- Robert Graham Grahamsville Signs 1120 E McReavy Road Union, Washington 98592 360-898-2260 Fax 360-898-2262 e-mail:gvs@hctc.com Posts: 136 | From: Union,Washington - USA | Registered: Oct 1999
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I like Brian's idea too. The only thing I can think of is, if you are using a V bit, you would need to add an outline to your layout to allow for the thickness of the cover material.
-------------------- Don Hulsey Strokes by DON signs Utica, KY 270-275-9552 sbdsigns@aol.com
I've always been crazy... but it's kept me from going insane. Posts: 2317 | From: Utica, KY U.S.A. | Registered: Jan 1999
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I like the wood hardener. Minwax has a good one part product. PC Petrifier is comparable but water based and nowhere near as toxic. I tend to use a two part epoxy wood hardener when needed. I don't like to route it and be exposed to breathing that stuff and wearing a respirator rather than a dust mask.I do wood turning and sometimes find wood that has beautiful grains but is loosing its hardness and use this stuff. I sure like it.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. Charles Mingus Posts: 6817 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Back in the days, I used it on counter tops, and restaurant tables to harden them after having lettered or painted on them...........Since the finish that I am referring to is clear, because of the transparency, it could be a good idea, if you wish to preserve the look of the board, showing its imperfect condition, under the polyurethane ( after it hardens ).......You could, also, letter on top of the polyurethane, after it hardens.....I am sorry, but I am just making suggestions without having seen the boards to which you are referring to.....I hope this helps.
Polyurethane seals refurbished or new countertops, protecting the surface from water and stain penetration. Countertops refinished with paint do not wear well and will scratch easily. Polyurethane forms a layer of clear protection guarding the fragile painted surface against surface scratches while restoring the shine.
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